


Weary Bones

by supernovastardust



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-10 04:30:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovastardust/pseuds/supernovastardust
Summary: A collection of scenes that refused to leave my mind directly following the hilltop scene of 1x08, and how the rest of the afternoon/evening was spent.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, thank you to everyone for the kind words of my last one. It has been a LONG time since I've written this way and feeling utterly rusty - so it means an extra lot. 
> 
> Secondly, just a personal disclaimer that in my day to day I write so much angst and drama ... yet it appears with Anne and Ann, all that is coming out of me at present is utter fluff. Will this change? WHO can tell, but I am entirely inspired by these women and that's what's coming out.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

How long did they stay atop that hill? Held tight in one anothers' embrace, promises whispered with such intent to be _kept_, it felt like hours. The sun was a welcome warmth on the wintery day, though it wasn’t like either Ann or Anne quite attributed to the warmth in their own bodies to the sunlight.  
  
At some point, Anne had begun prattling off details about the pit just a few yards behind them. She relayed details that Washington had informed her of; all those excruciating disappointments.  
  
“Anne.”  
  
Ann’s voice was soft, a small smile gracing her features as she gazed at the other woman. Anne turned to her, a gruff “mm?” Coming from her as she snapped out of her thoughts.  
  
“Have you had anything to eat today?”  
  
Anne almost laughed at Ann’s question. She opened her mouth to insist she never ate lunch … but did realize that she had also skipped breakfast. Her stomach had been in knots over her Aunt’s condition, which then fell along a path of rage (thanks to Doctor Kenny and then the pit’s circumstances) and so …  
  
“No, actually.”  
  
Ann smiled and took Anne’s hand in her own, drawing it to her lips to kiss the back of it. Anne wondered in the moment if the other woman got a similar feeling to the one she was experiencing, every time Anne did the same gesture to her. “There will be plenty of time to go over a plan,” Ann said softly. “Let’s get you home.”  
  
Home took on a whole new meaning now. Particularly when Ann spoke the word. Soon enough, Shibden would be their home, wouldn’t it?  
  
—  
  
For the first time since Anne had enjoyed walking beside Ann, it wasn’t a struggle for her to slow her gait to match the smaller woman’s pace. The nearer they got to Shibden, the more it seemed the whole of her adrenaline drained from her. She was finally allowed to rest, allowed to stop worrying over so many things. She was allowed to be exhausted beside this woman, on the way to her - soon to be their - home.  
  
Upon their arrival, Joseph scrambled out from the kitchen, a piece of bread barely shoved into his mouth as he offered to take their hats. Anne fixed him with a look as hers was unceremoniously dropped into his waiting hand without a word. Her heavy coat came next - an audible sound of relief to be rid of the thing. Ann handed her things to the young man, thanking him as she stepped further in, following Anne into the dining room. Dinner was already well underway, Marian and Jeremy sitting at the table with two places set.  
  
“Mrs. Cordingley set a place for you, Miss Walker. We thought you might stay.” Marian smiled pleasantly, though her gaze leveled at Anne in barely concealed excitement. For their father, Jeremy seemed more alert than usual. His smile beamed uncharacteristically as he regarded the two women who came to sit for dinner.  
  
Anne looked around the table, nodding to her Aunt Anne’s usual space. “She took her dinner earlier and slept. A lot of excitement for one day.” Marian explained.  
  
Ann sat beside Anne, looking around at the Lister family. She couldn’t help but smile to herself, like she was holding a secret nobody else would know. In some time, she’d come to know them as her own family. What an excitement that was. Her own Aunt had described them as odd, as people who never invited others openly. She’d have to beg to differ with Aunt Ann Walker. The Listers had been nothing but warm and welcoming to her from the start. Perhaps, she thought, it was the sort of energy one put into a meeting with them that made all the difference.  
  
Dinner went about pleasantly, Marian talking more and taking the lead on conversation with Anne’s exhaustion weighing heavier on her by the moment. As Marian and Jeremy finished their meals first, they excused themselves for the evening.  
  
“I’m in no state to protect you from Marian’s incessant questions, I’m afraid.” Anne said heavily, earning a soft chuckle from Ann.  
  
“You really don’t have to apologize. I like her quite a lot.”  
  
Left alone in the room, Ann didn’t hesitate as she spoke to reach across the small space between them to grasp Anne’s hand in hers. The gesture felt so sudden, so bold. Anne’s fingers reflexively twitched beneath hers.  
  
“Mm. Well. Nobody said you had taste, Miss Walker.” Anne held a straight face for as long as she could, but broke when Ann swatted her arm and stood.  
  
“Shall we retire upstairs?”  
  
A bolder move for the younger woman, effectively inviting herself with such surety to Anne’s room.  
  
“Oh, are you —“  
  
“Anne.” The blonde’s voice lowered so much so only Anne could hear her - just in case. “I haven’t touched you in months. I’m not going back to Crownest.”  
  
That was effectively that, then. Even in her exhaustion, Anne’s lips twisted into a smirk. Anne stood, the scrape of her chair noisy enough for Cordingley to pop her head in.  
  
“All finished, ma'am?”  
  
“I’m desperate for a bath. Where’s Eugénie?”  
  
“Oh, ma'am. She’s gone to rest … the travel was rough on her as you know…”  
  
“Useless.”  
  
“Miss Cordingley…” Ann broke in, her gentle voice commanding attention. It gave Anne a surprise, her gaze turning to the other woman. “If you wouldn’t mind drawing a bath. I don’t mind helping Miss Lister.”  
  
Anne stood stunned for what felt like a full minute. Not often left speechless, she felt as though the entirety of her body had suddenly flushed. It took her a moment to actually speak. “That’ll be quite well. Thank you.”  
  
—  
  
Ann was a near fit of giggles as she approached Anne’s bedroom door.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve seen you that particular shade, Miss Lister.”  
  
Anne’s eyes narrowed at her teasing, a click of her tongue. “Funny, I’ve seen many shades on you.” That earned a blush in return. Her own victory.  
  
Stepping over the threshold of Anne’s room, Ann paused suddenly. “Are you alright?” Anne asked, her hand coming to rest at Ann’s back.  
  
“Yes. I —“ Ann turned to her, her smile soft. “I just realized I’d never been inside your room before.” The amount of days and nights Anne had spent in Ann’s room at Crownest were many, but Ann was right, this was new for the both of them. Anne didn’t entertain many in her own bedroom, especially not of late. The last being Mariana and, well — that was not a memory she was particularly keen on dwelling over for the moment.  
  
“Is it how you thought?”  
  
Ann took a moment to answer. She moved into the space, her fingertips reaching out to touch the rich wood of her dresser, the heavy red drapes of her bed. “It is. Very … you.”  
  
Anne watched her, gaze steady even as she moved to take a seat, undoing the buttons on her waistcoat. “I should hope so.”  
  
Cordingley bustled past in the hall a moment later. Any conversation halted between the two women, a comfortable silence settling in as their gaze caught across the room. Anne was, once again, struck at how much she had missed this woman; a feeling that nearly left her breathless. It was clear Ann was thinking the same thing. There was much to say, much to catch up on. Stories to tell. Brothers-in-law to consider a specific kind of punishment for. All of that could be left until tomorrow. In fact, they had days upon days to get into it. An idea not lost on either of them.  
  
Anne’s gaze leveled at Ann as she moved to the window, the sun disappearing steadily over the horizon. Someone had already been up to light candles in the room, enough so that they cast a warm hue over Anne’s room. Ann didn’t waver as she turned back to face Anne, a brow raised in her direction — so much so that Anne almost considered it some sort of unspoken challenge. Lord, it had been a long time, hadn’t it?  
  
Ann entirely missed Cordingley announcing the bath was all set, her attention too focused on the way Anne’s fingers pulled her cravat from her neck. “Thank you, Cordingley.”  
  
“I’ve left some fresh night things in for you, Miss Lister. Good to have you home, ma'am.”  
  
Cordingley took her leave with a small nod to the two women. Anne stood, prompting Ann to step forward. “Do you need…?”  
  
“Give me a few moments, will you?” Anne reached forward and took Ann’s hand in hers, bringing it to her lips. When she spoke, her voice was low. “The first time I undress myself before you will not be when I am weary and stink of travel.”  
  
Ann laughed with a blush creeping up her cheeks, nodding as Anne took her leave just down the hall. She paused outside the door, pointing to the right. “It’s at the end there. Can’t miss it.”  
  
—  
  
It shouldn’t have been, but waiting a few minutes felt altogether torturous for Ann. She busied herself with looking around Anne’s room on her own. Her fingertips trailed over volumes of books, some blank and waiting for Anne’s words, and others that must have been favourite volumes to earn a place in Anne’s room. Her heartbeat quickened as her gaze fell to the bed, something of a tightness rising in her throat.  
  
When Ann finally made her way down the hall, she found the slightly open door and rapt her knuckles softly against it. Anne’s voice called out for her to come in, but Ann hesitated just a moment. As though that would help calm the wild beating of her heart.  
  
The crackling warmth of the fire was a welcome greeting, though Ann could scarcely focus on a single thing but Anne as she sat with her back to her in the iron tub. Blue eyes followed down the line of her spine, seeing more of Anne than she ever had before. Funny how something so innocuous as bathing could make her head spin just as much as being half-clothed and under sheets with the woman.  
  
“Are you going to just stand at the door for a while longer?” Anne’s voice was tired, but the lilt of teasing still came through stronger than anything. Ann rolled her eyes, smiling softly as she closed the door and moved to the basin to gather one of the pitchers left there. Her brow furrowed a bit, thinking for the first time that she’d never actually done this before. Even when she was young, their servants or even her mother would do this part.  
  
Anne watched Ann curiously from her spot in the tub, a smirk twisting her lips as she washed herself down with a bar soap that smelled of lemon and lavender. “That smells lovely.” Ann commented almost as if on queue, in such a wistful way that it made Anne’s stomach churn with warmth. She pulled her knees up in the tub, resting her elbows against the sides of the cool metal.  
  
For all that Ann was focusing her attention on the task at hand, she felt utterly distracted. She turned back a moment later, her gaze direct, unwavering as she had taken her moment to muster the strength to not be entirely bowled over by the sight of Anne like this. It gave Ann a sudden thrill, thinking for even just a flicker of a moment about the utter amount of moments like this one they’d share as their life’s path stretched out before them. There was no other choice for her, none really when she looked at it. Anne had told her several times before that she needed to find her courage, and she’d done just that. With her courage came her voice, and a strength to use it.  
  
As Ann maneuvered with the all-too full sleeves of her dress, she wondered (too late) if perhaps this task would indeed be easier in her nightgown or at least dressed down some. She carried the pitcher closer to Anne, inhaling sharply as Anne reached out somewhat lazily to rest her hand against her side. If she’d thought that morning over how her day might end up, never would she have allowed herself to dream of this. Ann had all but resigned herself to writing a desperate letter and sending it far away. She would spent days, weeks in agony, waiting for a reply that may never have come.  
  
It wasn’t lost on either woman the amount of times that Anne had been the one to administer comfort to Ann. How so often it was her hands on Ann’s body, soothing aching muscles and pain. Sitting in the tub, Anne allowed herself for perhaps the first time to feel the full weight of her weariness. Ann gently tipped the pitcher over Anne’s head, the older woman’s head falling back to welcome the rush of warm water down her hair. “Mmh,” She hummed a low sound, eyes closed as Ann began to run her fingers through her long hair. Ann felt as though her hands would start shaking from the unchecked adrenaline the moment sent coursing through her.  
  
“You’re exceptionally good at this, Miss Walker.” Anne said, eyes still closed as Ann worked her fingers along her scalp, rinsing thoroughly, so much so she felt in her own trance of sorts.  
  
“Am I? I think you’re just tired.”  
  
“Mm. True, that. But I stand by my sentiment. Would you?” Anne’s eyes were open now, her gaze cast upwards in a way that, the poetic part of her heart made her think that Ann looked akin to an angel. How silly, thinking such wistful and fantastical things, but her heart felt particularly full on this day, so she’d allow it. She’d let her hand drop from Ann’s side, gesturing towards her back before handing the soap.  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Ann knelt beside the tub this time, dipping the soap into the water and bringing it back up Anne’s back. Anne leaned forward, her eyes once again closing as she gave herself to the feeling of Ann’s hands on her. Similarly, she couldn’t have imagined in even her most wild, excruciating dreams that this moment or any similar would have been anywhere near possible, today or any other. What a difference one day could truly make.  
  
The sounds in the room were all quiet, creating a gentle symphony of their connection. The crackle of the fire as it consumed its kindling, the splash of water as Ann dipped her hand back in to rinse the lather of soap from Anne’s back, the soft sounds of their breathing. Distracted from her task, Ann brushed away Anne’s wet hair, her fingertips slowly tracing over her shoulders, then down along her back. She inhaled somewhat shakily as Anne’s breath filled her lungs, pressing her back into Ann’s palm. She counted the bumps of her spine, never once breaking contact as her fingertips slid down the small of her back, dipping beneath the water.  
  
“_Ah_…” Anne exhaled noisily, her fingers reflexively gripping the sides of the tub. Ann’s gaze reverted to them, noticing then that goosebumps had risen along her arms.  
  
“Are you cold?”  
  
“Ahm,” Anne choked on a laugh, shaking her head. “Not quite.”  
  
Ann smiled, a small victory she didn’t expect but was altogether thrilling.  
  
Though the sleeves of Ann’s dress were utterly soaked to her wrists by the time she’d finished and rinsed Anne again, she didn’t mind it. She rose to gather towels, draping a larger one over Anne’s shoulders. As Anne rose, Ann would _like_ to say that she averted her eyes, but only managed to have some semblance of propriety a moment or two late.  
  
“You’re wildly overdressed.” Anne said as she stepped out of the tub, her turn now to earn a deep pink blush that colored the other woman’s face. She paused in front of Ann, her fingers hooking beneath her chin to guide their lips together. Neither seemed to have counted the minutes or hours since they had last kissed, and yet the sweet reprieve of one so full of longing made it seem as though months had passed yet again between them.  
  
“It would appear so.” Ann replied boldly as their lips parted, her tone just above a soft hum. Desire roiled inside of Anne so strongly that she’d liken to the roughest of seas she’d recently encountered. Only entirely more pleasant.  
  
“I believe Joseph put the things James brought you in the bedroom next to mine.” Anne began, stepping away from Ann to gather another towel to begin to dry her hair some. “But don’t feel obligated to stay in that room.” The pair shared a cheeky smile, their gaze held steady for a moment or two longer. Ann took her leave before she could think twice of it.  
  
—  
  
Ann didn’t knock as she entered Anne’s room. In all honesty, she hadn’t thought to. The sight of Anne, not for the first time that day, stole her breath. She sat on the bed in her nightdress, a knee propped up with a diary balanced precariously there. Her hand moved quickly as she furiously scribbled along the page. Her damp hair draped over one shoulder, wild and undone.  
  
“I suppose I should get used to you making yourself at home, shouldn’t I?” Anne spoke quietly, a small smile on her lips though she never once looked up from her diary.  
  
“Just as I suppose I should get used to finding you with a pen in hand.”  
  
Anne nodded as she finished a few more marks in her diary, only then did she leave it to her nightstand and turn to face the other woman.  
  
The flickering light of the few candles left lit cast long shadows about the room, stretching the space between them. Anne pulled back the covers of her bed, not lost on the intimacy of finally, mercifully sharing the space with Ann.  
  
It felt sacred, no matter how many nights they had spent together prior.  
  
Bare feet padded across the room, Ann’s heartbeat picking up pace until she arrived at the vacant bedside. She put her own candle down, blowing it out before sliding delicately into the bed. Anne watched her, keen eyes looking for any sign of hesitation, trepidation. Some part of her mind still didn’t feel safe to trust this, nor the utterly warm feeling spreading throughout her chest at having Ann here. The weight of their promises now so deeply felt.  
  
“Are you comfortable?” Anne asked for a myriad of reasons, worried too that perhaps her bed wouldn’t be the right sort for her spine. She’d chuck it out and start anew with one better suited for Ann if need be.  
  
“It’s lovely.” Ann sighed, a grin splitting across her face as she lay next to Anne, her body instinctively arching nearer to the woman as she too lay into the pillows.  
  
For a long moment, they just gazed at one another, like they had so many times before. Anne took her hand, their fingertips sliding against one anothers' before Anne brought Ann’s hand to her lips, kissing her palm, and then the inside of her wrist.  
  
“Anne,” Ann’s voice was soft, an airy quality to it that on any given day would (and did) drive Anne mad with want.  
  
“Mm?” She replied, her hand slipping around her waist, scooting them closer together. Her lips brushed against Ann’s cheek bone and then her jaw - her movements were slow, even a bit sloppy if there were such a thing.  
  
“I just…” Ann hesitated, which gave Anne immediate pause. Her heart leapt to her throat, and as soon as she drew back, Ann could see the fear in her eyes. That was truly the opposite of what she’d wanted. Ann sighed, smiling, her own hand raised to rest gently to her cheek for reassurance. “I have longed for you for … _months_.” The confession made her blush to say so bluntly, but she pressed on. “And as much as I want this, _you_ … how long has it been since you’ve had a proper sleep?”  
  
Anne blinked at the other woman, floored by a number of revelations and not least of all, the care with which Ann gave to how Anne felt, even beyond desire. “Ah. Well. That’s a question.”  
  
Ann laughed softly, nuzzling her nose against Anne’s as she kissed her lips softly, but quick. “I thought as much. I might very well prefer it if sleep didn’t take us before… we’d like it to.”  
  
Anne studied her a moment before her smile returned. She was weary, travel and fatigue weighing on her all the more. “Quite right. Wise.”  
  
Despite her words, Ann shifted even closer, her arm lazily draping over Anne’s hip. Her fingertips idly stroked the fabric of her nightdress. “But … Come morning…”  
  
The duality of desire warring with her utter exhaustion felt like an entirely new sensation for Anne, which left her with a slightly frustrated growl released to the night between them. “Come morning. All bets are off then, Miss Walker.”  
  
Desire could wait a few extra hours, the sting of it lessened by their bodies naturally tangling together anyway. Sleep took them both quickly, Anne first, so Ann had but a blissful moment of seeing her finally at peace.


	2. Come Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Direct continuation of the previous chapter, a rainy morning at Shibden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I was 100% not going to do another chapter, but y'all are so encouraging and wonderful, it just flowed right on out. Thank you truly for all of the kind words, I'm FLOORED by your love. Apparently it takes some 1830's brilliant lesbians to help dust off the rustiness. 
> 
> Note the rating change. Good lord. 😳 🥴

On any given day, Anne was up not much past dawn. Perhaps however, several days with only a handful of hours of sleep set her up all too well with over-exhaustion that left her body completely numb to anything that might usually wake her up. The chirping of birds outside, the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs, the gentle fall of rain against the windows. None of it penetrated the deep sleep she so desperately needed.

Some time later, she might be slightly annoyed that she’d slept well past eight, the day ahead was likely to be filled with a myriad of things she, and she alone needed to take care of. The worry over the pit, her aunt, her finances — all of these things should have woken Anne from her sleep any number of times. But still she slept soundly, never once stirring from her tangled position with Ann. 

For Ann Walker’s part, she hadn’t actually been aware of her own exhaustion. She had held so tightly to this idea of her inner strength leading her along, that she’d barely been aware of the tension it gave her. The release of it with the realization of Anne being here, home in Halifax had begun what felt like a new chapter for the woman. She wanted to cling to that feeling, the independence and _courage_ that being with Anne again, and truly committed this time gave her. Courage was what Anne always encouraged her to find within herself. Courage is what being with Anne opened her up to feel. 

The chiming of the clock down the hall stirred Ann finally, somewhere around the six or seventh chime. She wasn’t sure what time it actually was, what with the cloudy sky outside obscuring the sun. Groggy with sleep, she stretched her back, only then becoming aware of Anne’s arm snugly around her waist, her palm lazily resting over the curve of her hip. Blinking a few times, Ann turned her head to where Anne slept. She wasn’t actually aware of a time when she had woken before Anne, and she savored the moment as she woke. 

Ann’s gaze wandered around the room for a moment, taking in the space in the daylight. She sighed a little noise as her sight fell back on the woman beside her. Anne sighed heavily in her sleep, her fingers reflexively gripping at Ann’s nightdress when she shifted in her grip. Ann’s smile grew, turning into her more intently than before. 

“Anne.” She spoke softly, her head tilting towards Anne’s as she pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. It did occur to Ann that as the day got on, the less privacy they’d actually have. It was truly a wonder to her that they hadn’t been disturbed yet. 

“Mm,” Anne finally stirred just barely, her voice rough with sleep in the slightest sound she made. Ann sighed gently, her lips then against Anne’s jaw line, her hips shifting just so that her body could press more fully into Anne’s. 

“It’s morning.” While the statement might have seemed to be an innocent note of the time, her tone of voice was what made Anne finally open her eyes to look at the other woman. Her brows rose sleepily, but an amused look took on her features. Certain promises had been made about morning, hadn’t they?

“Is it?” Anne replied somewhat put-upon, exaggerating a grogginess to her voice though it was already still rough with sleep. “How can you tell? The sun hasn’t filled the room yet.”

Ann rolled her eyes, nudging Anne playfully. “You’re incorrigible.”

Anne shrugged her shoulders, as though impervious to the comment. “Anne.” The younger woman spoke more boldly, her tone severe, her gaze direct. “I haven’t had you in months. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

Well. That certainly was a wakeup call, wasn’t it? Anne’s eyes widened a little at the boldness of Ann’s demand. They’d shared so much all those months ago, confessions and promises whispered to each other. They’d grown quite fond, quite attached to one another, but Anne couldn’t recall a time when Ann had so boldly stated what she wanted. Though, to be fair, any time Ann had asked her to stay the night with her, Anne felt that was plenty.

This was something entirely different. It set fire to the older woman, a churning warmth settling between her legs and spreading through the entirety of her body. 

“Well then.” She spoke simply, though she was on the move barely a second later. Her lips seized Ann’s in a deep and unyielding kiss, unwilling to be soft or tentative. The time for that was long past, and she could tell by the moan that escaped from Ann that the other woman felt the same.

Ann’s body arched into Anne’s, a keening sound caught somewhere in her throat as her hips lifted towards Anne’s. Anne’s fingers grasped Ann’s nightdress, bunching the fabric between her fingers as she shifted into the other woman. Ann’s hands moved around Anne’s body, exploring the feel of her beneath her palms. She hummed a sound, her lungs burning for reprieve she wasn’t even sure she wanted to come. Ann’s fingers gathered in Anne’s dark hair, holding fast to her in a way that when Anne shifted to trail her lips down Ann’s neck, the tension caused a tug to her scalp. An action that earned a low sound from Anne. 

“Oh,” Ann gasped a little, a smile breaking across her features. She liked that sound coming from her paramour. She’d like more, in fact. 

Anne’s lips traveled slowly along Ann’s throat, feeling the pulse of the other woman beneath her lips. She took care not to suck too hard on her skin, not to leave welts in her wake, but she felt a distinct rush of electricity burst through her body when Ann gasped and arched into her simply from her tongue sweeping against the pulse point. 

“Anne,” Ann gasped helplessly, her fingers burrowing deeper into Anne’s already wild and tousled hair, like that would help keep her hands from trembling. “I’ve missed you…”

Anne grinned against Ann’s skin, exhaling sharply as she lifted her head to gaze down at Ann. “Let’s see, shall we?”

If it were at all possible, Ann turned another shade or two deeper crimson in a blush as Anne kept her dark eyes on her. Ann panted, shifting beneath Anne as the other woman moved to better position herself over her. Kneeling with one knee between Ann’s, she effectively straddled one of Ann’s legs, eagerly reaching her fingers low to peel up the fabric of her nightdress. Ann wished that she had more willpower in her, wished that she could stop the way her entire body began to tremble from the utter anticipation of being touched, properly, by Anne. 

Should they have been worried over the time? If someone might burst through the door? Yes, absolutely they should have been, but neither seemed particularly capable of focusing on a single thing but the other woman. Anne’s eyes darkened with ever deepening desire, watching for every flicker of expression on Ann’s face. Her fingers dragged along her thighs, perhaps taking her time in spite of herself. She trailed her hand up over her hip, Ann’s nightdress gathering around her wrist to reveal more of her soft skin.

“Anne.” Ann’s voice was a growl, so deep in fact it nearly startled Anne, but she grinned, a short, low laugh sounding through her own heavier breathing.

“What is it?”

“I think you’d agree that even the Romans were not quite _this_ adept at torture.” Ann huffed, earning an earnest, hearty laugh from Anne. In spite of herself, Ann had to laugh at the utter joy of seeing the amusement burst across Anne’s face. In some of her darkest moments, it was the thought of Anne, smiling at her like this that brought her back. 

“You’re quite right.” In earnest, Anne bowed her head to capture Ann’s lips again. One meant to be a quick kiss, but almost immediately deepened. Ann murmured a soft sigh into her lips, a sound that grew as Anne’s tongue swept over her lips. When she pulled back for breath, Anne’s lips hovered just brushing barely against Ann’s. “Patience is a virtue you might have to work on, Miss Walker.” 

Ann might have replied with her own stubborn comment, but could in fact do nothing but release a moan, barely bit back as Anne’s hand found its way to her queer. She practically burst out of her skin at the contact, her hips sharply lifting into Anne’s palm. There was no embarrassment to Ann’s eagerness, just a desire to be touched, finally, mercifully by the woman she loved. 

“Jesus,” Anne reverently hummed the word to herself, the timbre of her marveling at Ann’s arousal. Her fingers moved against her expertly, slowly rolling the pads of her fingers over her intended target. Ann’s whole body gave such a violent shudder, she thought she might have to hold onto her a little tighter. Every languid stroke earned exactly the kind of reaction from Ann she was after; the gentle moans she only tried to bite back with her teeth sunk desperately into her lower lip or moreover the way her hips rocked herself into Anne’s hand. Anne knew the importance of keeping quiet, but how she longed to tell Ann to hold nothing back. Someday. And soon. 

Ann’s fingers grasped for Anne, desperately clinging to her nightdress as she lifted her head to steal her lips in a hot, breathless kiss. It had been too long, too utterly depressing being without this woman. But Ann had found something within herself even in Anne’s absence, something that Anne inspired, something she’d unleashed. Just knowing that this, she, _they_ were still very much an option for one another had brought her back here. And she’d thank God every day for the rest of her life for bringing Anne back to her in turn. 

Lungs aching for relief, Anne dragged her mouth away from Ann’s plump one, humming a soft sound of her own as she kissed slowly along Ann’s jaw. Her fingers continued with a steady stroke, meeting Ann’s movements until she finally slid her index finger inside of her. Ann’s body jolted beneath her from contact, a strangled moan escaping her lips as she clung tighter to Anne, her fingers burrowing into her hair, yanking involuntarily that earned a sharp sound of her own from Anne. Later she might apologize for that, if she thought of it. “Anne,” Her name felt desperate on Ann’s lips, an interrupted plea that drowned into a groan. Anne gazed down at Ann, taking her all in with the splendor that their love provided. After a while, a second finger joined the first, as Ann’s body lurched in response, moaning into Anne’s lips, seeking another kiss. 

In a rather surprising moment for Anne, the unhurried thrusting of her fingers halted as Ann’s knee propped up beneath her thighs. Anne glanced down, perhaps a little stunned, but altogether aroused as she felt Ann’s thigh between her own. “Ann,” She sighed her name, her gaze fixed on the bright blue eyes of her lover. Through heavy breath and flushed cheeks, Ann simply raised her eyebrows. A challenge? If it was possible, Anne’s heart thundered harder in her chest. 

Ann had learned certain things throughout her time with Anne, though she was wildly inexperienced and oft at the mercy of this woman - happily and eagerly so. She knew pieces of what Anne liked, what she didn’t, how focused and intent Anne always was on her pleasure. She was hard pressed to think of anything else when they were making love so intensely. It always gave her a jolt of satisfaction, the few times they were thickly in the throes of it, when Anne would press into her _just so_, taking some relief and pleasure for herself. She longed to give her a fraction of what the other woman gave so willingly. 

For Anne’s part, she had her ways. Procedure, for lack of a better term. Her satisfaction came from giving pleasure, taking off on her own to care after herself only after the smug feeling washed over her from delivering a particularly spectacular moment for her women. Most of her chosen lovers didn’t take much care to her pleasure, but that always sat just fine for Anne. Rubbish, she’d think, they’d be entirely rubbish at it. But the way Ann looked at her now, it quite sincerely stole her breath away. 

“Anne,” The smaller woman repeated, more insistently, a plea as much as a demand. Her hands smoothed down her shoulders, catching her breath, but altogether maddened by the pause. “I want…you — ” She stumbled over her words, which was all the more endearing to Anne. Though Ann had never been the more articulate one between the pair of them, this was a particular struggle. She breathed out heavily, her lips making a bit of a ridiculous sound. “Please.”

Anne’s fingers hooked under Ann’s chin, her gaze intense as she began to move her fingers inside of her again, driving in slowly, curling her fingers and repeating the motion. Anne took her time, maybe in some hopes to distract Ann, or perhaps just to give herself a moment to revel in her own power; so often she indeed felt powerless against the depth of her feelings for Ann. 

To mercifully acquiesce Ann’s request (or, demand as it were), Anne lowered herself the added few inches until she felt contact. Electricity fired through her synapses, alighting something primal in Anne she usually had such control over. She gasped sharply, eyes falling closed for just a moment. For Ann, it was magnificent, something reverent or holy in the experience of seeing Anne’s pleasure, feeling her slick arousal on her skin. “Is this alright?” Ann said through rushed breath, her own heart beating faster. Anne nodded, but said nothing else, just redoubled her efforts. 

The time for quips and even lingering kissing seemed over for the moment, the women fell enraptured with the steady, albeit slow rhythm they built together. Even their breathing felt in sync; soft gasps and easy moans that built a semi-quiet cacophony around them with the rain and, now, occasional thunder rolling in. 

Both of their bodies gathered a sheen of sweat, the exertion mingling too beautifully with their pleasure. As Ann began to tremble uncontrollably beneath Anne, Anne focused on a more demanding pace, her hand working strongly as her other scooped beneath Ann’s head to draw her up for their first kiss in some handful of minutes. She kissed her breathlessly, open mouthed and messy as her own hips rocked in a steady rhythm, bearing down to grind herself on Ann’s thigh. Pleasure soared through Anne, but she was far more focused on the woman beneath her to give herself to it. 

Ann was helpless against the altogether overwhelming pleasure that raged through her body, a barely held back sound torn from her lips as she gave herself into the orgasm Anne delivered her. Anne’s dark gaze never wavered, though she did manage to get out a “shh” by way of warning. It was only half-hearted however, her attention so focused on the woman, her _love_, coming undone before her. Ann panted and hummed through her pleasure, her muscles trembling from the intensity of the rapture she felt. She desperately tried not to move her knee from beneath Anne, so her hands reached out to cling to Anne’s waist. She’d hold herself steady if it did her in. 

Anne took her time in watching Ann, her own breath heavy, her eyes direct in drinking up every flicker of pleasure that raced through Ann. She smiled softly, as Ann’s body shuddered when she slipped her hand from her, taking care to brush the palm of her hand against her now overly sensitive apex. Now was around the time she’d roll off of Ann, snatch up her pocket watch, figure how much time she’d have to give herself a proper touch before taking on the day. Instead, Ann’s chin tilted towards Anne, wordlessly seeking a kiss that Anne so readily gave. Anne lowered herself over Ann, her forearms to the bed on either side of her while her hips churned in a more steady, deliberate rhythm than before.

Ann reveled at the way Anne moved, eyes dancing with curiosity as she let her head fall back to fully take her in. Anne wasn’t sure she’d like being under such an intense gaze, but somehow with Ann, she wasn’t afraid of it. Not now. She might have been embarrassed by how easily it was for her to work herself into a near-frenzy, the way her hips undulated to rub herself on Ann’s taut thigh driving heat and pleasure up every vertebrae of her spine. Soon enough her breath became ragged, hitching in her throat with a low growl as she inelegantly toppled over her own edge. She came as quietly as she could muster, under the watchful eye of Ann Walker. Ann marveled at her, a grin splitting eagerly across her face. Anne dramatically collapsed against Ann, her forehead tucked against the curve of her neck. The moment felt so reminiscent of their last night spent together in Crow Nest, but this was decidedly better.

Ann’s fingers dragged through Anne’s long hair as they panted together, their sounds harsh, lungs aching, bodies spent. Their months of longing culminated in this moment, and they both wished for more, and more on top of it. They held each other for a while longer, before Anne began to move herself from laying mostly atop of Ann. 

Or she would have, had Ann not desperately clung to her. Her nose buried against her neck, a soft hum of sound coming from the woman. “Stay a bit.” Again, that tone that usually sounded like a request from Ann, felt more of a demand that Anne was altogether pleased to allow. “Mm, a bit?”

Ann smiled, blissfully gazing up at Anne when she caught her sight a moment later. “A bit. Like you said, _who can tell_ what time it is.” Anne chuckled, her hand sliding down to Ann’s waist and holding her tight as she shifted just a bit more comfortably. “Now who is the incorrigible one, hm?” 

Brushing her fingers over Anne’s hair, Ann held steady her gaze, still floored that this woman existed at all, and moreover, that they were here, together. That _this_ would be how her life could look. She’d lacked the courage before, and what a fool she felt for that now. “I think I’m really going to like it here.” 

“Mm.” Anne affirmed and kissed Ann heartily, long and unhurried, a breath stealing its way between their lips. “I think you’ll fit in rather nicely, Miss Walker.”


End file.
